rookie Akwasi Owusu-Ansah will be out a while with a high-ankle sprain. We've seen with Dez Bryant that it not only can be a 4-6 week injury, but possibly have lingering effects. Even if Owusu-Ansah can get back for the last month or so, it'd be worth trying to keep his roster spot to see what he's got, maybe even as the starter.
In the meantime, maybe we'll see more of Church or even Danny McCray, who has played some in the nickel and dime packages. Church, though, seems like a guy that could possibly be a future starter, but of course, it's going to take the Cowboys throwing him in there.
Lee will likely continue to get more reps, and that's understandable for a couple of reasons. First, he's a second-round pick with a first-round grade. The Cowboys want to see him in action, and secondly, they're trying to lighten the load of Keith Brooking and Bradie James, who have been three-down players most of the season.
I'd expect to see Lee more in this game and that will continue as long as he stays healthy.
Josh Brent is playing more and more at nose tackle as the Cowboys are giving additional rest to Jay Ratliff this year. There were games last season when the backup, Junior Siavii, would be active and never even get on the field. This year, Brent is definitely in the rotation and might even start to see more playing time. If that happens, I wonder if the Cowboys might think of experimenting with Ratliff at defensive end, something that could be a possibility next season.
It gets a little trickier with the offensive line. Sure, that's one of the older positions on the team, but if you start flipping those spots, it could be even more disastrous than it already is. We all know that if your O-line isn't functioning, then nothing will.
So, replacing a guy like Marc Colombo to see what Sam Young has is risky. I think the Cowboys wouldn't mind seeing Young play a little at right tackle this year, or maybe even at guard. And we're probably going to see over the next few weeks how valuable Phil Costa can be as a guard/center backup.
As for the running back, I've been saying Tashard Choice is the third-best back on this team for a while. I still believe that and I think the Cowboys do as well.
But at this point in the season, maybe it's time to mix it up and go with the fresh legs. I think Felix and Marion will continue to get carries, but Choice will probably be mixed in there as well. Phillips told him to stay ready, although I don't think you have to worry about Choice not being ready to play.
The point is, if your season is going down the tubes, then you can either sit there and keep banging your head against the wall, or you can at least mix some things up and play some new players.
Who knows? Maybe some of them provide a spark for this year. Lord knows the Cowboys need one.
